I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

      In another time and place I worked as a Rehabilitation Counselor for the Iowa Commission for the Blind, in downtown Des Moines. My caseload of clients included all sorts of blind people who had different needs. I drove some of them to Iowa City for exams and worked to find employment for others. I taught white-cane travel to some of my clients, following an extensive training period in which I was blindfolded and traveled the streets of Des Moines with a white cane myself. I also helped sell "White Cane" candy on the streets of Ft. Dodge and outside the factories in Dubuque. In short, I was deeply involved in the cause and had many blind people as personal friends. Over time, as I became familiar with their hopes and dreams, it became clear that... they didn't have much room for religion. They didn't have much patience with verses that suggested that God made blind people "whole" when he healed them...because they felt as if they were whole in the first place. They wanted opportunity and respect more than anything else, and they felt that a patronizing religion would only hold them back.
      Thus, they avoided church and they didn't want to hear anything about "mercy," based on pity. They wanted a job, not handouts, and they wanted to get around on their own, rather than depending on others. I understand their point of view entirely and in their behalf, I want to stress that preaching "good news" to the blind is a matter of welcoming them into our community and empowering them in all the ways we can. I also want to stress, although I pray that it is not necessary in our time, that disability of and kind, and blindness in particular, is NOT caused by sin and that it is NOT some sort of punishment from God. It is, however, a context in which God can show that, in Christ, he is the Light of the world. Many of us- should I say most of us?- are disabled in ways seen and unseen and, unless we are in Christ, we are all blind spiritually! We are blind- each one of us- unless we have accepted Christ as our Savior and embraced him as our Lord. This is the point that John makes in his 9th chapter, which is our focus on this 4th Sunday of Lent.
      Unless we know Christ, we are stumbling in darkness because he is the light of the world. This is the truth that we are confronted today... and its a great invitation for those of us, church members or not, who long to see clearly. According to John, Jesus was walking along the street of Jerusalem when he encountered a man who was born blind. Blindness was more common in Jesus' world that it is in ours... but this man had been born blind. He was not blind from a disease, or an accident, or some sort of temporary illness. He was blind from birth and just as it is in many parts of our world today, this meant that living in darkness and begging... was all that he had to live for. Well, as they passed by, his disciples asked Jesus if the man or his parents had sinned... because it was commonly thought, for centuries after this encounter, that disabilities were caused by sin. In response to this question, Jesus replied, "Neither one," but God can do anything because he is the Light of the world. Then, without being asked by the blind man, Jesus healed him with water and a little mud... and the man could see... for the first-time in his life. So, he went home, with an excitement that I can only imagine, but when he arrived, there were no balloons, just questions from his startled neighbors, some of whom doubted if he was even the same man. They couldn't see that God had worked a miracle, so they took the man to the self-righteous Pharisees, who made it their business to judge such things... and they couldn't see that God was involved either. Instead, the fixated on the fact that the man was cured on the Sabbath, and eventually they compelled the man's parents to come before them. The parents, however, we're afraid to speak for fear of being excommunicated; so the Pharisees interrogated the man again... and this time, their meeting deteriorated into a shouting match... and instead of throwing a party, they threw him out. Then Jesus approached the man, who must have been wondering what was going on, and asked him the same question he asks us, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" Do you... believe... in the Son of Man? This, more than glasses, exams, and surgeries, is the key to 20/20 vision... and the man said, "I believe." He said, "I believe," and Jesus said, "I have come so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
      So, it's not about physical sight at all, but spiritual sight, with which we can clearly see who Christ is and who we are as we stand before him. Seeing who Christ really is... is the beginning of every spiritual journey... and believing in Him... opens our eyes wide. Friends, there's a need in our hearts- for love, acceptance...and for God- but without Christ, we can't see it clearly enough to nurture it. There are opportunities all around us, for growth and rebirth... but without Christ, we can't see them... through our fears and our doubts. There's a narrow path... that will fill us with joy. It's very close to us really and he's on it... but unless we are in Christ, we can't see it because we're lost in the crowd on the broad highway. There are people in our own world- who need to be listened to and loved... but without Christ, we won't see their pain clearly enough to respond. There are God-given vocations that will help the world and fulfill us at the same time... but apart from Christ, we are blinded by our own self-interests. God is everywhere around us, but apart from Christ, we will only see small things- that we can control and measure. Rebirth, new beginning, second chances- they're growing like flowers along the road less traveled- but without Christ, we'll never, ever see them.
      In 1976, when I was struggling in the treatment center, it suddenly occurred to me... that I had been forgiven! I could see, for the first time ever, that God loved me and that things were going to be alright. I was excited about it and I shared the good news with the nurse who was staffing 6 west that evening. However, Nancy was there too... and the next morning at breakfast... she told me that nothing had really happened, that I was as blind as I ever was, and that any new beginning that I was dreaming of... was just a figment of my imagination. She played the role of the Pharisees, or the neighbors... and she rained on my parade. It was a painful moment, but it didn't stop me from claiming what I was sure of. God had taken the burdens of guilt off of my back and he had given me enough sight to see that much! Thus, when he asked me if I believed in the Son of Man, I eagerly said what I say to this day, "I BELIEVE." I believe. Praise God, I can see clearly now because I believe in the Son of Man. Amen,
     

BEAUTY... AS I SEE IT

      Recently, our daughter, Kelli, who did a lot of good work with "BeautiGrow," asked me to weigh in with a few thoughts on beauty. So, even though I don't know any more about beauty than anyone else, I will share my thoughts with her (and you).
      First, I confess that I didn't give "beauty" much, if any, thought for the first 40 years of my life. Some of the girls had pretty faces and some of the kids were cute, but I didn't consider them to be beautiful. Some of the mountaintop views that I saw were panoramic and some of the golf holes that I played were more "interesting" than others... but I didn't think about any of them as being beautiful. And so it was with everything else for me... because I was in a rush to get from here to there and because my own spirit was unsettled. A mind that is preoccupied with "self" will never appreciate "beauty" in things outside of oneself... and a spirit that is preoccupied with whether the "grass is greener" down the road will never be able to see beauty in the present moment. Thus, I believe that "seeing beauty" requires a settled mind and spiritual maturity. Beauty may be all around us, but we will never see it if we consumed with ourselves.
      Concerning "beauty" itself, I have decided that all things natural and authentic are beautiful because they are exactly the way they're supposed to be. Artificial people and things, no matter how brightly they shine... have no beauty to me, and no one can be beautiful by pretending to be someone that he or she is not. At this point in my life, I see beauty everywhere around me. Old men and women are beautiful in their "character," and children are beautiful in the "innocence." Thinking back, I see that my father's calloused blue-collar hands were "beautiful," and I can still seeing him washing them with Lava. Also, as I look back on it, the Iowa river, where we used to fish for catfish... was "beautiful" because it didn't pretend to be anything more than it was.
      I wish I had seen more beauty in those days. It was all around me, but as I've come to accept myself, I am able to see beauty easily now- especially in those things and people who are authentic.  They come in all shapes and forms, all ages and colors. I could name names- hundred of names- of men, women, and children... who are entirely beautiful. Some of them (like me) are overweight, some are socially awkward (they talk to much and laugh to loudly), some are disabled (who isn't) in one way or another, some have known a demon or two, and some are not quite ready for primetime...but each one of them is "beautiful" because they've come to "own their lives" and "accept the journey" that they're on. They are "at peace" with what they had done, where they are, and where they're going... and it is this "peace" that makes them beautiful.
      Yes, I've been blessed in the last many years, to live around and know many, many "beautiful" people... and I am very grateful. But it's not just the people who are beautiful to me- so is the created world, even the ordinary world here on the plain. Sometimes, when I'm walking Buffy, I clear my mind of all thoughts... and simply blend in with the world. Without labeling it, I feel the wind against my face and hear the ducks as they flight over me. I let myself feel the contour of the land and I look around to see "who's" sharing the walk with me. The unkempt bushes, the fallen tree limb lying across the path, the vehicles traveling on road, the shallow creek that doesn't make much noise, and if it's night, the street lights as they reflect off of our artificial little pond... it is all breathtakingly beautiful because it's real and authentic and exactly the way it ought to be!
      Beauty, to me, is more of a spiritual thing than a physical thing, and it radiates from us, no matter our appearance...when we accept ourselves, our fellow travelers, and the world we live in... as we find them... and as we all become what we are called to be... in God's gracious hands and His sovereign plan for us. Amen.

THE DEPLORABLE AT THE WELL

      Most of us like to hang out with people who are a lot like us. We know that differences exist in the world, but we don't want them in our own lives. We're a tribal people. We take sides. When we enter a room, we gravitate to people who look like they may be one of us. We watch TV programs, even networks, that affirm what we think because we feel "at home" with them. We attend churches where the people are likely to worship God like we do, and we make sure to sit on the "right" side of the arena, or stadium, when we go to a watch a game.
      The North going Zax and the South going Zax don't talk much. They see the world differently and they don't have much in common. There's no doubt about that, but the issue is deeper than socializing and rooting for our favorite team...because the circles we draw make others the targets of our suspicions and fears. The circles that keep others out tend to feed our own sense of entitlement and to diminish the Image of God in others. Thus, in a surprisingly short period of time, people who are different from us...become people who are dull-witted, mean-spirited, old-fashioned, racist, anti-American, sinful, and even evil. This was the way it was between the Jews and the Samaritans in Jesus' time. They despised each other. They didn't want anything to do with one another. It had been that way for centuries.
      The Jews and the Samaritans shared the same patriarchs, but their sense of being "one with one another" had long since disappeared by Jesus' time. Indeed, if they had to travel from Judea to Galilee, most Jews would walk around Samaria, rather than having anything to do with it. But the Bible says (John 4) that Jesus and his disciples journeyed through Samaria en route to Galilee, and that they came to a town called "Sychar," which was the site of Jacob's well. According to John, while his disciples went into town to buy food, Jesus waited by the well... and a Samaritan woman came to draw water. Women drew the water in those days, as they did in our own colonial days, and in both cases women would generally go to the well in a group... because drawing water was an important time for socializing. But this was at noon... and the woman was alone, indicating that her friendship circle was small. "Can I have a drink?" Jesus asked, and his question took the woman aback. "How can you, a Jewish man, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" she replied. It was a good question, because Jesus had violated two important social boundaries. In the first place, men didn't talk to women they didn't know and in the second place, Jews didn't talk to Samaritans. The woman was caught off guard, but Jesus noted that she would've asked him for living water if she knew who he was. Sir, the woman said, Give me the water you have so that I won't have to come to the well everyday. It's a long walk and it's often hot when I get here. 
      "Go and call your husband," Jesus said. Bring him to me, he said... and the woman confessed that the man she was living with was not her husband. Their conversation deepened and it became clear that the woman had 5 husbands in her past (some whom may not have actually been "husbands"). In any event, it became clear that Jesus may have violated a third boundary- by talking to a woman with a questionable past. The Jewish rabbi and the unnamed Samaritan woman talked on, but their dialogue ended with the woman saying, (v. 25) "I know that God's Messiah will make all things clear when he comes"...  and Jesus said, "Ego eimi, I am!" I am the Messiah, the One whom you're talking about, the One who can meet your needs... for water, acceptance, love. And so it was a moment that was shared, even initiated, by the great "I AM" with an unknown Samaritan woman... who had a questionable past. She is the one whom he chose to speak to. She is the one whom he took the time to know. She is the one whom he offered living water, and she is the one whom he longed to save. She ran off to tell others in the village, and it's important to note that her sharing of what she had seen and heard- brought many people to Jesus.
      But I want to return to the boundaries that keep us from loving others and simply ask these questions: 1) What people do you avoid? 2) What kinds of people are deplorable to you? 3) What sort of people do you walk out of your way... not to see? 4) Who are the Samaritans in your world? 5) Who are the people who are somehow "unclean" to you? 6) Are there people who make you "nervous" simply because they seem to be part of a group... that falls outside of your circle of love? Black people? Jewish people? Muslim people? Poor people? Tattooed people? Loud people? Haughty people? Gay people? Abusive people?.... How wide is your circle of love? Who's in? Who's out? Are the boundaries permeable? Or impenetrable?
      Christ lived in a world that was filled with boundaries. Some people were worth loving and some deserved to be hated. Some people deserved respect and some were only around to serve a purpose. Jesus knew that. He knew that he wasn't supposed to welcome children, let Mary sit with his disciples, eat with sinners, heal a Roman Centurian's daughter, touch lepers, or converse with those who were leading unsavory lives. He knew all of these rules... and ignored them... because his circle of grace was really really large! In fact, it included everyone who was willing to be included. God's love is like that. It's inclusive, welcoming, and nonjudgemental . So, be careful with the circles you draw. Some of them come naturally- like family, church groups, and Cub fans- but some of them deprive other- the very people who need it most- of the love that Christ Jesus offered to the poor and disrespected in his time... and of the Living Water that he offered to a Samaritan woman!

   

TEMPTATIONS ALONG OUR WAY!

      When the time was right, Jesus was baptized by John, and when he came up from the Jordan, his Father proclaimed: you are my Son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased.(Mark 1:11) Wow! What a moment. It was the beginning of his journey and it began with a powerful affirmation from his Father… but even before his hair had dried, Jesus was “pushed” into the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil (Diabolos). It's a scary thing to think that Jesus would be tempted before he began his ministry... and it's even scarier to reflect on what temptations may be coming our way... if we choose to follow in our Lord's path. Only God knows, of course, but one thing is for sure- we will be tempted! Some of us will be tempted by wine and pleasure, some of us will be tempted by corruption and compromise, and some of us will be tempted to sell our souls to please ourselves. Our temptations will take on many different forms... but they'll all be designed to entice us to a) choose an easier and softer way and b) make our journey- even our work for God- all about us! We’re always under attack. Diabolos (the Devil) is always near, waiting for an "opportune moment" to bring us down, whether that moment comes when we're in our wilderness... or when we're drunk on our own wine. We cannot experience a Christian journey without temptation. It's not possible. Therefore, it's important for us to understand the temptations that our Lord conquered... and the way in which he conquered them.

      According to Matthew, Jesus was hungry and exhausted when the Tempter shinnied up beside him... and sowed the seeds of doubt. He used the "IF" word and suggested that Jesus could meet his own immediate needs... and serve God at the same time. Look, he seemed to say, IF you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Take matters into your own hands, Jesus! Feed yourself. Your Father knows that you need strength because your cross will be very heavy. Feed yourself, and then you'll have the strength to do God's bidding. But Jesus replied, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.” Jesus needed bread, of course. We all do, but NOT in place of His Father’s word. God knows that we need the things that nourish us, but not nearly as much as we need Him. Along the way, no matter our calling, we’ll be tempted to meet our own needs first. We may even be tempted to believe that we're doing God's will when we take matters into our own hands, but nothing satisfies like the word of God and nothing is more pleasing to God than our obedience.
      The Devil didn't tempt Jesus with something that would've been unthinkable. He didn't try to tempt him with anything that was immoral or tawdry. Instead, he offered something that would satisfy Jesus' immediate needs... if he took matters into his own hands. It was a temptation that revolved around obedience and trust... and Jesus rejected it. So, Diabolos tempted Jesus with a self-serving way to make a name for himself and show the world that he was the Son of God. If you're not tempted to feed yourself first, Jesus... at least you should make a name for yourself. Look, the Tempter seemed to say, you can spend years walking around Galilee, teaching and healing a person now and then… OR you can make headlines… by hurling yourself off of the highest point of the temple. Call CNN, issue a press release, and the entire city of Jerusalem will turn out to watch, as you defy the laws of nature.  You will be an overnight sensation and you have nothing to lose. IF you are the Son of God, your Father will save you! He will send his angels to lift you up- just as Scripture says- because His plan of salvation depends on it. It’s a no-brainer, Jesus… unless, of course, you don’t trust your Father… or aren’t even His Son. Jesus was presented a choice... between the world's way and his Father's way. and he replied, “It is written: do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Friends, be aware! If you are tempted to put yourself at the center of your Christian journey, seek the word of God immediately! If your work will make you a star, you may be on the wrong track!

      Tempting Jesus to put himself first, didn’t work. Tempting Jesus to force God’s hand, didn’t work.  Tempting Jesus to trust in anything other than God's word, didn't work. Jesus knew His Father's will because he knew Scripture and because he had a vibrant prayer life. Jesus' strength was not based on his own ability to make things happen or to make a name for himself... but on faithful obedience to his Father's will. He knew who he was and whose he was... and thus, he was not confused or thrown off guard by the Tempter's lies. So, the Devil decided to appeal directly to Jesus' ego. He took him up to the top of a high mountain, and noted something like this: Look, Jesus. Look at it in all of its glory. Take it in. Consider all the good that you can do for these poor souls. Think about the evil that you can get rid of. Think about the difference that you can make in people's lives. It can all be yours… 'if you will bow down and worship me.' Why die for a world that you can own? Why hang on a cross when you can sit on a throne? It’s your choice, Jesus… serve God and go to the cross. Serve me and rule the world. What do you say? And Jesus, who would later pay for our sins on a blood-stained cross, said, “Get away, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
      Then, the Bible says, Satan left him, and the angels came and attended to him. After all, he still needed a little food and a lot of TLC! It's a powerful story in many ways, isn't it? We can celebrate the victory that our Lord had at this moment, for one thing, and we can use his example to protect ourselves, can't we? After all, we have God's Word too. And we can come to know it too! We can let it speak to us and become part of us too. And what is more, we also have the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised... which fills us with faith and leads us in the way we must go. In short, we are armed, equipped, and able to put... and keep God first! And it's important that we do, lest we become careless and get drunk on ourselves. “When the devil had finished all this temptation, he left him (Jesus) until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:13) This may be the most frightening verse in Scripture… because the Tempter is cunning… and very, very patient! Amen.